Hope from the Past
by Robo Reader 21
Summary: After so many sacrifices, the Reapers still come. Hope seems fleeting for Shepard. Then hope found him.


I wasn't planning on posting this until much, much, MUCH later on. Mainly after I progress with my other fic. But I thought what the hell.

I promised a story merging Gargoyles and Mass Effect.

I'm a man of my word. Most of the time. This is the pilot chapter.

I wish I owned Gargoyles or had some connection that would put it back on the air and get Greg Weisman to do whatever he wants. Don't own Mass Effect either.

Enjoy.

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><p><strong>Hope from the Past<strong>

**Project Base, Asteroid 157-Golgotha, Bahak System**

He had little time left. But between him and safety were a bunch of indoctrinated humans and one YMIR mech. And the Relay was drawing closer with every second.

He reacted on instinct and unleashed a biotic shockwave at two of the guards, their shield kept them on the ground but the heavy force did weaken their barriers and stunned them for a second. That was all the time he needed. With his Mattock rifle he took down their strained shields and burned off both their heads before going for cover.

Mass accelerator fire zoomed just overhead of the crate he was behind and he could hear the guards on his comm. He stored his rifle and retrieved his Locust SMG, equip the cryo rounds and activated his Geth shield boost. He stood up and aimed for the nearest, expose guard draining her shields till it burst out of existence allowing the rounds to flash freeze her in place.

He crouched back down as his shields were nearing depletion but he wasn't about to let the chance go to waste. As his shields started to regenerate he got back up and biotically pulled in the thawing human, as she floated over cover he finished the job in safety of enemy retaliation.

He heard someone say the last shuttle has left and he peeked out of cover to see said shuttle lift off the ground and moved toward the relay.

"Damnit!" he cursed but he saw hope by the landing pad, "I have to get to the comm tower. Hope the Normandy's listening." With that goal in mind he inserted a new clip into his SMG and picked the spare clips from the body of the guard he killed.

He still had some brainwashed humans and a mech to deal with.

Unaware to either party was an observer. Standing on high he watched the fight unfold as one by one the corrupt humans fell at the hands of just the one warrior. It was of no shock or surprise as he has witness the human survive encounters and quest that would have lead him and his comrades to their death but he always pull through with his allies in tow.

Save one.

The warrior does indeed represent the best the humans of Earth have but even the most virtuous aren't free from making the harsh sacrifices for the greater good. As was the case now for when this asteroids collides with its destination it will be the end of this system and its inhabitants.

A horrid outcome but the reason being understandable. It all came down to numbers: trillions of lives safe at the cost of three hundred thousands. The choice was obvious but not as simple as it sounds in writing.

The warrior did try to warn the people of the system. An admirable gesture but fleeting all the same and he knew that well.

A loud explosion returned the observer to the battle below, which was over. Lost in his thought he missed the entire battle and the warrior came out victorious as he expected.

The warrior approached his destination and called for his vessel. Then, seemingly out of nothing, an image appeared. It was a sick yellow color and transparent of what looked like a creature of the deep sea with a series of tentacles and four bright yellow glowing eyes.

At this distance no known species in the galaxy would be able to hear the exchange happening, especially in the vacuum, but he could hear them as clear as if he was standing between them.

"**Shepard" **the voice emanating from the suspended form was reverberating, with discord and the essence of irritation mixed in, **"You have become an annoyance.**

**You fight against inevitability. Dust struggling against cosmic winds. This seems a victory to you. A star system sacrificed. But even now, your greatest civilizations are doomed to fall. Your leaders will beg to serve us." **Mocking, plain and simple. Even after all the warrior has accomplished against this monstrous being and its kin and hordes, it still taunts and degrade him, passing off all his efforts as minor inconveniences.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe we can't win this." the warriors voice melancholy and sting of utter loathing as if he's always seen the futility of his efforts and is now openly admitting it. His stances changed to full confidence as he stepped forward, glaring at the image towering before him, "But we'll fight you regardless, just like we did Sovereign. Just like I'm doing now." his voice filled with determination and intent, "However 'insignificant' we might be, we will fight, we will sacrifice, and we will find a way. That's what humans do."

The image was not impressed or phased, **"Know this as you die in vain: Your time will come. Your species will fall. Prepare yourselves for the Arrival." **Its proclamation said the image vanished as it entered.

The warrior had little time to maul over the dialogue as his ship signaled its approached and he raced to meet his way off this doomed planetoid.

The observer just watched. No worries or concern at all, just a small smile on the lips as the vessel dubbed '_Normandy_' sped off towards the blue construct on the horizon.

"And you will find your way" he finally spoke before his cloak wrapped around his form and he vanished all together from where he stood.

**SR-2 Normandy**

As soon as he got on board he raced towards his helmsman who was already at work steering the ship to the Alpha Relay.

"Get us out of here, Joker!" he hollered to the pilot. As if he needed to be told to run from imminent death. He expect a sarcastic remark from the wise-cracking pilot but he was so focused on the job that he remained silent. It even looked like he was fighting the urge to say something funny.

The commander looked out the window to see the relay right in front of the ship and getting closer. They were gonna make it, no other way about it.

With a mad dash, he went towards his station overlooking the Galaxy Map. He wanted- he NEEDED to see this through, he needed to see the consequences of his actions to the end. Not for closure, this will not give him closure, quite the opposite. This will forever haunt for all life and death even, but if he didn't see this through he think himself no better than the scum he's killed for their crimes.

The ship hit the relay and entered transit, ten agonizing seconds later the asteroid crashed. The Mass Relay, all thought indestructible, snapped and shattered, and the enormous amount of energy of its eezo core released in a bright white explosion that spread all out.

The effect was display in such a simple format it made him curse this 'cutting-edge tech'. It was just as Dr. Kenson said, like a supernova and it consumed the entire system. The crew and even some of his team members who came up just stood silent, not even EDI chimed.

Shepard didn't say a word. He turned away, walked off his station rather sluggish. No one said anything, not even Tali. They gave him a wide berth as he made his way to the lift, up to his cabin. He had a report to write.

A small jolt signaled their exit back into real space. He was about to press the key, "Commander, we may have a situation" said EDI.

With a heavy sigh he replied, "I'm sure Miranda can handle it, EDI. I have a report to write."

"We did not arrived at the designated coordinates I transmitted to the Relay."

Again Shepard stopped short of the hologram this time there was some vigor and all he managed was, "What?"

"We are in an uncharted area of the galaxy. I am attempting to triangulate our position but we are inside a dense asteroid field, its impeding my scans. We need to exit the field in order for me to find out our location."

With renewed energy Shepard jumped out of the elevator, "Back to your stations, everybody. Ask if Legion can assist you pin-pointing our location, EDI." If EDI replied in confirmation he did not hear it as he ran back to the cockpit.

"How is she, Joker" he asked the pilot knowing full well who he was referring too.

"Barriers are knocking the rocks away, I'm avoiding the big ones but I have little wiggle room here." the pilot replied.

"Where is the relay we exited from?"

"I left it behind with the other rocks." he answered with his usual sarcasm.

"Before we moved out of view of the relay I noticed several fragments of what was once an asteroid the size of the one used to destroy the relay in the Batarian system. But these fragments were traveling in a pattern that suggest the relay was encased inside the asteroid much like how the Charon Relay was encased in ice at Sol System." EDI appeared on her display reporting her findings, "Analysis of the surrounding area indicates that the relay was freed only minutes ago."

"Minutes" Shepard was very puzzled, "Are you saying that the Mass Relay activate AFTER we entered transit on our end?"

EDI stalled for a second, trying to find the correct, logical answer seemed impossible for the AI, "As impossible as it seems, that appears to be the case."It was almost like she didn't believe what she was saying, though practically unchanged after having her locks released, her answer carried a hint on disbelief.

"Has this ever happen before to anyone else. It would certainly be publicized in history." asked Shepard.

"I have no records of any similar occurrences happening before on record. And there are no comm buoys to the extranet in this system to search for such an event."

"Uhh, Commander" Joker got his attention and he pointed out to space in front. The commander saw what his friend was apprehensive about as right in front off them in the sparse area of the field was a ship.

It was the size of a standard cruiser but possessed a shorter height. It was a strange mix of silver and granite with red, blue and gold in some sections. Its shape was like a diamond along the fuselage with extension of what could engines and other emplacements. But what was really surprising was that it looked like no ship built by the known races.

More surprising was that it was headed their direction. The rocks veering off from some unseen barrier.

Shepard was in a situation, a very volatile one. A First Contact situation. Something he certainly not prepared for. He couldn't run back to the relay fast enough with so little room to maneuver. Plus it could be seen as a hostile act to the unknown and god knows how long and accurate their weapons are and he wasn't about to start a war with a new race, not with the Reapers on their way. Only one option available.

"Hail them, Joker. On every channel. Tell them we come in peace or something. Just that we're not-" he was cut off by a started voice with an Australian accent.

"Commander!" both Shepard and Joker turned to Miranda who was pointing at a... at a floating, glowing green sphere that was give off a greener color flame?

The orb moved around the CIC, zipping from area to area. Shepard could swear he heard a 'hmm' of intrigue and curiosity coming from the orb as it flew around, stopping to stare -he guessed- at the crew, who were all befuddled and a bit frightened, and the writing on the walls and screens.

It then flew in front of Miranda. "Judging by the accent I heard you are of Australian decent, right?" it asked, with the voice of a young woman and they doubted they were hearing english because of the translator. But that was second to the fact that it knew the land of origin of Miranda's accent.

Miranda was speechless, something that rarely happens in all the time Shepard has known her.

The orb then floated towards Shepard himself, "I'm gonna take a guess that you are the commanding officer of this ship, Commander..."

He couldn't help but stare for a second before regaining enough of his composure to answer, "Shepard. Commander Ryan Shepard and yes I am the commanding officer of this vessel."

"_Normandy. _Does that mean that you guys really are from Earth?" it asked rather joyfully.

And he lost his composure once again, more so this time. It/She knew about Earth.

Shepard could only answer that question with a question, "What.. Who are you?"

The orb giggled. An innocent, well-nature chuckle. "I guess introductions are in order."

The orb flew back a bit and started to grow larger, its shape shifting as well. Additional color and distinction came next.

Standing in front of him was a young woman of early twenty's by his guess and standing tall at 6'6". She wore a uniform that appeared alter to a level that no military Shepard could think of would accept and adorn with armor components with a medieval aesthetic style. Her form was very human looking with a face and body that would make even an Asari envious. She had a long, beautiful mane of ebony dark hair that passed her shoulders and brown eyes that glisten with kindness and intelligence. Her skin was a soft copper color complemented by the strange, green shine that remained present.

She could almost pass as a human.

But then you notice the non-human features. Mainly the large bat-like segmented wings on her back with chocolate colored membrane reaching a height above her head and the tail which, by the way it moved, is prehensile. On top of her brow were four short horn buds, her elbows had spurs, and her hands had sharp looking talons. Her feet seemed slightly arched but he could only guess due to her footwear making it difficult to distinguish.

She gave a toothy smile, displaying her prominent canine fangs. "My name is Natalie Serenity Maza. Welcome to the Sanctuary System."

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><p><strong>Authors Note:<strong> I think I have a good setup here. You guys can take a guess at Natalie's origins.

I'm using the background of "The Gargoyles Saga". If you guys are fans of Gargoyles then I suggest you read it. Its awesome and ties so well with the series.

Now remember that this story is the companion piece to "Wing Beings".

Read and review this and that story.


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